Release of rotated locking button by push action



Feb. 26, 1963 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,079,189

RELEASE oF RQTATED 'LOCKING BUTTONI BY PUSH ACTION Filed Nov. '13, 1961 2 Sheets'x-Sheet 1 F1250 .7. R'uss'eu.

SoLon//EFF 650265 B' INVENToRs BY 3.60% i /WM/ AvronzNsvs Feb. 26, 1963 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL RELEASE OF ROTATED LOCKING BUTTON BY PUSH ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 13, 1961 INVENTORS FEED J'. RUSSE/ L 50265 B. oLov/EFF 3,979,189 RELEASE F RTTED LGCIQNG EUTTN BY PUSH ACTIN Fred I. Russell, Los Angeles, and George E. Soiovieii, South Gate, Calif.; said Solovie assigner to said Russell Filed Nov. 13, i961, Ser. No. 151,784 3 Claims. (Cl. 2%2-359) The invention is in the field of products relating to the interior construction and operation of door locks having special reference to what is often designated as a privacy lock. The lock here under consideration is one wherein a person on the inside of the door can bar the door against entry from the other side by turning a locking button and so prevent the outside knob from being rotated in order to withdraw the latch bolt. Safety requirements in connection with devices of this kind compel the construction of means in the lock for unlocking the lock from the outside in case of emergency, the unlocking mechanism, however, being something other than a conventional key-operated mechanism.

Since the construction of privacy locks which can be locked by a rotating locking button has been known and in use for some time, these to be in keeping with the safety requirements have in fact made use of one type or another of emergency release devices in order that access could be had to the interior from the outside. The devices, however, heretofore in use have had some undesirable features, a common one of which is the need for some special type of key to gain access to the interior in case of emergency rather than being so consti-acted that access could be had even though the special key might not be readily available.

ln some other respects also these devices have not been entirely satisfactory in that the mechanism has been unduly complicated and accordingly more expensive than need be and in some instances of such construction that more than the desired force may be needed to operate them.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved door lock of the privacy lock kind wherein a rotating locking button is used which can be released from the outside by push action.

Another object or" the invention is to prov-ide a new and improved privacy lock making use or a rotated locking button which can be released in case of emergency from the outside without the need for employing some s ecial key or tool.

Still another object or the invention is to provide a new and improved privacy lock mechanism for a door lock which can be released from the outside by a short, direct thrust making use of a nail, a piece of wire or virtually any long straight obj'ect, the mechanism further being such that it is simple to construct and assemble and moreover being of such character that very little change need be made in already existing door locks so as to accommodate the thrust action release of a rotating locking button.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved push action release for a rotated locking button in a door lock which makes possible the employment of parts constructed of non-metallic low friction material, thereby to greatly improve the quiet action of the mechanism as well as to reduce the force needed to operate it.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contempla-ted are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompany-ing drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational exploded View of the device considerably cut away in order to reveal the interior portions of the device and showing the lock in locked position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view appreciably cut away and similar to FIGURE l showing the lock in unlocked position.

FIGURE 3 is substantially a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4 4- of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective exploded View of working parts of the device with some of the parts shown in section and some in a fragmentary form.

The structure herein shown and described and which is a typical example revealing features of the invention comprises an outer operating assembly lil only parts of which are shown in order to simplify the description of the mechanism. An inner operating assembly l1 is similarly disclosed. Portions of the lock which are attached normally to a door (not shown) have been indicated generally as a stationary portion 12. These parts, although well known in the art and described in sundry patents, will be further described here in order to provide the necessary background and environment for mechanism incorporatting applicants invention.

Those portions of the outer operating assembly herein shown include a knob I3 to which a square outer spindle l@ is normally secured by means not shown so that by rotation of the knob, a latch bolt assembly I5, indicated only schematically, may be operated so as to withdraw and release a conventional latch bolt in the usual fashion.

Those parts of the stationary portion which are herein shown include a mounting plate i6 covered by a decorative escutcheon i7 by means of which the stationary portion as a whole is attached to a door. A bracket 18, shown in FIGURE 3, has legs 19 terminating in feet 2d which are permanently secured to the mounting plate i7 by clips 2.

The mounting plate includes a sleeve 22 which serves as a bearing for rotatably mounting a shank extension 23 of shank 25 which is non-rotatably attached to an inner knob 24. The shank 25 bears against a shoulder 26 of the escutcheon in order that the knob assembly may be properly secured in place by employment of a snap ring 27. The snap ring mounted in a groove 2'7 is attached to the inner end of the shank extension 23 and bears against a washer 28 which in turn bears against an inside face of the mounting plate 16. Constructed in this fashion the inner knob 2d of the inner operating assembly is rotatably mounted upon the stationary portion 12.

Inasmuch as the lock here under consideration is a privacy lock, there is provided on the inner operating assembly a locking button 3i). The locking mechanism is of such character that, in order to lock the door from the inside, the locking button is lirst pushed inwardly in a direction from left to right, as viewed in FIGURES l, 2, and 3, and then rotated through an angular distance of somewhere between forty-tive and ninety degrees, depending upon the particular construction involved. When the device is to be released from locking position from the inside of the door, the locking button is merely rotated in a reverse direction and will then spring outwardly in a direction from right to left by spring action, thereby to release the lock from a locked condition.

In order to lock the mechanism by manipulation of the locking button as suggested, the parts operate in such fashion that both the shank extension 23 and the outer spindle 14 will be anchored temporarily -by an appropriate locking assembly to the stationary portion 12 and prevented from being rotated and hence will be prevented from manipulating the latch bolt assembly 15. An important member in the chain of parts which accomplishes lthis is a locking washer 32 from which extend four prongs 33 of such proportion and location that the locking washer can be shifted axially in order to have the prongs enter rectangular holes 34 in the bracket 18. These last defined parts are shown to good advantage'in FIGURE 8. Hence, the mechanism is one which enables the locking button 39 to move the locking washer 32axially to engage the prongs with the holes and to hold the locking Washer in this position until the need arises to release it either by the previously described reverse .actuation of the locking button or by some agency at the outside of the door.

On the locking button is a projection '36 having a fiat 37 thereon by means of which the projection is nonrotatably attached to a locking member embodied in a sleeve 33. The sleeve is preferably a non-metallic, low friction, synthetic plastic material, such for example as nylon or Delrin. At the inner end of the sleeve is a pair of lugs 39 in retracted position. These lugs rest in axiall ly extending slots 4t) of the shank extension 23, the slots being shown clearly in the exploded View of FIGURE 8, lbut with the lugs disengaged therefrom. An end edge 41 of the sleeve is adapted to be moved axially against the locking washer 32 when the locking button is pushed inwardly so as to shift the locking button against tension of a spring 42 to a position where the prongs 33 engage the holes 34. In this axially shifted position theY lugs 39 will move out of engagement with the slots 40, in which position hy rotation of the locking button 36 the sleeve is rotated and the lugs will then override the edge 41 of the shank extension 23. This relationship is shown in FG- URES lY and 3,. The relationship is that which holds the lock in locked condition until released by one or another of the agencies heretofore made reference to.

To interlock the outer spindle 64 and the shank extension 23 in non-rotatable relationship, 'the outer spindle 14 is made square and lits slideably but non-rotatably in a square hole 43 in the locking washer 32.. .To secure the shank extension 23 non-rotatably to the locking washer, tabs 44 are provided on they washer 281 which engage in the slots 40 previously described, thus attaching .the washer non-rotatably to the shank extension 23. Extensions 45 on the Washer project inwardly and engage recesses 46 on diametrically opposite sides of the locking washer. The locking washer 32 is of course free to shift axially relative to the washer 2S and the extensions 45 but cannot rotate with respect thereto. Accordingly, both the shank extension 23 and the outer spindle 14 are nonrotatably secured to each other by the chain of structural elements thus described, the connecting links being the locking Washer 3-2, and washer 23;.

Consequently, when the prongs y33 of the locking washer have been engaged in the holes 34 of the bracket 1S, the locking washer cannot rotate and because of this the outer spindle 14 and the shank extension 23 cannot rotate so as to manipulatel the latch bolt assembly 15. This condition holds as long as the lugs 39 overlie the edge 41 of the shank extension 23. Reverse rotation of the sleeve 3S and the lugs 39, as has been previously noted, is needed to effect the release. When the sleeve 38 is rotated inV reverse direction far enough, the lugs 39 again fall in line with the slots 4h, in which position the lugs are forced into the slots by action of the spring 42 which bears on one side against the inside face of the bracket 1S at a location surrounding a clearance hole 47 and on the other side against an adjacent face of the locking washer 32, -the effect of which is transferred directly to the adjacent end edge 41' of the sleeve 3S.

To make it possible to rotate the sleeve 33 to its initial unlocked position by axial thrust from the outside of the door, an opening 5t) is provided on the sleeve 38, one side of which consists of a cam track 51. The outer spindle 14, although non-rotatably attached to the knob 13 is also made slideable relative to the knob by conventional means (not shown). The outer spindle is also axially slideable with respect to the stationary portion 12. On the inner end of the outer spindle 14 is a reduced portion 52 terminating in a short projection 53 which serves as a spring keeper for a spring 54. The spring bottoms upon a shoulder 55 within the sleeve 33 in one direction and against the outer spindle 14 in the opposite direction, the action of which is to urge the outer spindle 14 outwardly to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

In practice it is preferable to provide two openings 50 and two cam tracks 51 on diametrically opposite sides. Cooperating with the cam tracks thus provided is a pin 56 which is in effect a camming pin projecting outwardly from the reduced portion 52 of the outer spindle. The pin initially bears against a straight Wall 57 of the opening 59 so as to permit some axial motion of the outer spindle 14 before the camming action begins.

When the thru-st action suggested is to be employed in order to unlock the lock, some conventional agency such as a wire end or nail 58, or an ice pick or some other in strument, as the case may be, is pushed endwise through an access hole 59 in an outer face 6i) of the outer knob 13 and is guided by a cup 61 in the outer spindle to a central location so that it will not slip off. As the outer spindle 14 is pushed axially from right to left as viewed in FIG- URE 1, the pin 56 is moved first along the straight walls 57 until it strikes the cam tracks 51. During this motion rotation of the outer spindle is prevented by the locked relationship of the locking washer 32 in which it is nom rotatably mounted. Since the outer spindle cannot rotate as the pin is forced against the cam tracks, the action will cause the sleeve 38 to rotate and rotation will continue until the pin reaches the opposite ends of the cam tracks. The rotation caused by the displacement between opposite ends of the cam tracks in a rotational direction is sufcient to rotate the lugs 39 until they fall into alignment with the slots 40. During this action the spring 54 will be depressed and suiii-cient endwise thrust must be exerted to depress the spring which preferably is a relatively light-weight spring.

At the end of this cycle, the parts will be in the relationship shown in FIGURE 2 with the spring 54 depressed and the spring 42 extendedr so as to, simultaneously force the lugs 39 into the slots. 4i) and atthe same time shift the prongs 33 in an axial direction out of engagement with the holes 34 of the bracket 18. When this has been azz-- complished, the locking Washer is free tol rotate and hence either the outer knob 13 or the inner knob 11 can be rotated so as to operate the latch bolt assembly 15. Thereafter, upon release of the outer spindle 14y by rernoval of the wire end 58 or other agency, the outer spindle 14 will be returned by action of the spring 5,4 from the position of FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURES l and 3 without otherwise changing the relationship of any of the parts.

It should be noted that by reason of employing a low frictional material for the sleeve 38, no lubrication is neededv for the camming relationship and further still the sleeve 33 with relatively little clearance between its outside surface and the inside surface of the shank extension 23 rotates with considerable ease and thus reduces the thrust which may be needed either to lock the device from the inside or to unlock the device from either the outside or the inside. Other than the interposition of the sleeve and its cam track, other structure of the lock is such that it can be assembled in a well known fashion and will operate effectively without change.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom Within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

l. ln a door lock including a locking assembly adapted to be locked from the inside and adapted to be unlocked in response to push action from the outside, and a latch bolt for said door lock, the combination of a rotatably mounted inner operating assembly, a rotatably mounted outer operating assembly operatively associated with said locking assembly and having a condition blocked against rotation when said locking assembly is in locked condition, a spindle connected respectively to said latch bolt and to said operating assemblies and having an axially slideable mounting with respect to said assemblies, an unlocking member operatively mounted in the inner operating asser bly and having one position in locked -condition and being rotatable from said locked condition to an unlocked condition, said unlocking member comprising a cam element, said spindle having a cam element thereon in operative engagement with said first cam element, one of said cam elements having a circumferentially oblique direction whereby axial movement of said spindle and said second cam element is productive of rotational movement of said unlocking member to said unlocked condi-tion, said spindle having an outer end exposed to access from the outside to enable shifting said spindle in an axial direction to reiease said unlocking member and said locking assembly.

2. In a door look including a lockinl7 assembly adapted to be locked from the inside and adapted to be unlocked in response to push action from the outside, and a latch bolt for said door lock, the combination of a rotatably mounted inner operating assembly, a rotatably mounted outer operating assembly operatively associated with said locking assembly and having a condition blocked against rotation when said locking assembly is in locked condition, a spindle connected respectively to said latch bolt and to said operating assemblies and having an axially slideable mounting with respect to said assemblies, an unlocking member operatively mounted in the inner operating assembly and having one position in locked condition and being rotatable from said locked condition to an unlocked condition, said unlocking member comprising a cam element, said spindle having a cam element thereon in operative engagement with said irst cam element, one of said cam elements comprising a sleeve having at least one opening in the wall thereof forming a ciroumferentially oblique cam track and the other of said cam elements comprising a radially extending pin having a camming engagement with said cam track whereby axial movement of said spindle and the second cam element is productive of rotational movement oli said unlocking member to said unlocked condition, said spindle having an outer end exposed to access from the outside to enable shifting said spindle in an axial direction to release said unlocking member and said locking assembly.

`3. In a door lock including a locking assembly adapted to be locked from the inside and adapted to be unlocked in response to push action from the outside, and a latch bolt for said door lock, the combination of a rotatably mounted inner operating assembly, a rotatably mounted outer operating assembly operatively associated with said locking assembly and having a condition blocked against rotation when said locking assembly is in locked condition, a spindle connected respectively to said latch bolt and to said operating assemblies and having an axially slideable mounting with respect to said assemblies. A combined locking and unlocking member slideably and rotatably mounted in the inner operating assembly, said last member being rotatable to a position in locked condition and being rotatable from said locked condition to an unlocked condition, said unlocking member comprising a cam element, said spindle having a cam element thereon in operative engagement with said first cam element, one of said cam elements having a ciroumferentially oblique direction whereby axial movement of said spindle and second cam element is productive of rotational movement of said unlocking member to said unlocked condition, said spindle having an outer end exposed to enable to access from the outside to enable shifting said spindle in an axial direction to release said unlocking member and locking assembly.

References @Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,911 Russell lune 7, 1955 2,894,328 Butter Aug. 27, 1957 3,048,996 Russell et al Aug. 14, 19612 

1. IN A DOOR LOCK INCLUDING A LOCKING ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE AND ADAPTED TO BE UNLOCKED IN RESPONSE TO PUSH ACTION FROM THE OUTSIDE, AND A LATCH BOLT FOR SAID DOOR LOCK, THE COMBINATION OF A ROTATABLY MOUNTED INNER OPERATING ASSEMBLY, A ROTATABLY MOUNTED OUTER OPERATING ASSEMBLY OPERATIBELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCKING ASSEMBLY AND HAVING A CONDITION BLOCKED AGAINST ROTATION WHEN SAID LOCKING ASSEMBLY IS IN LOCKED CONDITION, A SPINDLE CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY IS IN LOCKED CONDITION, A SAID OPERATING ASSEMBLIES AND HAVING AN AXIALLY SLIDEABLE MOUNTING WITH RESPECT TO SAID ASSEMBLIES, AN UNLOCKING MEMBER OPERATIVELY MOUNTED IN THE INNER OPERATING ASSEMBLY AND HAVING ONE POSITION IN LOCKED CONDITION AND BEING ROTATABLE FROM SAID LOCKED CONDITION TO AN UNLOCKED CONDITION, SAID UNLOCKING MEMBER COMPRISING A CAM ELEMENT, SAID SPINDLE HAVING A CAM ELEMENT THEREON IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CAM ELEMENT, ONE OF SAID CAM ELEMENTS HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OBLIQUE DIRECTION WHEREBY AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SPINDLE AND SAID SECOND CAM ELEMENT IS PRODUCTIVE OF ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID UNLOCKING MEMBER TO SAID UNLOCKED CONDITION, SAID SPINDLE HAVING AN OUTER END EXPOSED TO ACCESS FROM THE OUTSIDE TO ENABLE SHIFTING SAID SPINDLE IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION TO RELEASE SAID UNLOCKING MEMBER AND SAID LOCKING ASSEMBLY. 